Wintergreen
Wintergreen is a low-growing evergreen groundcover native to North American woodlands, prized for its aromatic leaves, bright red berries, and traditional medicinal and flavoring applications. This charming plant reaches just 3-6 inches tall, spreading slowly through underground runners to form attractive mats of glossy, dark green leaves that take on bronze-purple tones in cold weather.
Small, nodding white flowers appear in summer, followed by bright red berries that persist through winter and are edible with distinctive minty flavor. The aromatic leaves contain natural methyl salicylate, giving them their characteristic wintergreen scent and flavor used traditionally in teas, candies, and topical preparations for muscle pain relief. Fresh or dried leaves make refreshing herbal tea, while the berries offer mild wintergreen flavor for snacking or flavoring.
Wintergreen thrives in acidic, humus-rich soils with consistent moisture and shade to partial shade, making it ideal for woodland gardens, shaded rock gardens, and naturalizing under acid-loving plants like rhododendrons and blueberries. The evergreen foliage provides year-round groundcover interest while suppressing weeds in challenging shaded sites. Hardy across USDA Zones 3-8, wintergreen is perfect for native shade gardens, medicinal herb collections, and anyone seeking aromatic, low-maintenance groundcovers with traditional herbal value and winter berry interest.
Wintergreen
Wintergreen is a low-growing evergreen groundcover native to North American woodlands, prized for its aromatic leaves, bright red berries, and traditional medicinal and flavoring applications. This charming plant reaches just 3-6 inches tall, spreading slowly through underground runners to form attractive mats of glossy, dark green leaves that take on bronze-purple tones in cold weather.
Small, nodding white flowers appear in summer, followed by bright red berries that persist through winter and are edible with distinctive minty flavor. The aromatic leaves contain natural methyl salicylate, giving them their characteristic wintergreen scent and flavor used traditionally in teas, candies, and topical preparations for muscle pain relief. Fresh or dried leaves make refreshing herbal tea, while the berries offer mild wintergreen flavor for snacking or flavoring.
Wintergreen thrives in acidic, humus-rich soils with consistent moisture and shade to partial shade, making it ideal for woodland gardens, shaded rock gardens, and naturalizing under acid-loving plants like rhododendrons and blueberries. The evergreen foliage provides year-round groundcover interest while suppressing weeds in challenging shaded sites. Hardy across USDA Zones 3-8, wintergreen is perfect for native shade gardens, medicinal herb collections, and anyone seeking aromatic, low-maintenance groundcovers with traditional herbal value and winter berry interest.
